Alder Hey Hospital Accepts Full Liability for Toddler’s Death After 24 Care Failures
Alder Hey Hospital admits full responsibility for 24 failures leading to the death of 21-month-old Eleanor Hazel Aldred-Owen in a coroner-ruled misadventure.
POLICY WIRE — Liverpool, United Kingdom — Alder Hey Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has formally accepted comprehensive liability for a series of critical errors that resulted in the death of a toddler.
The trust acknowledged full responsibility for 24 distinct failures in the standard of care provided to Eleanor Hazel Aldred-Owen, a young resident from Mold in Flintshire.
Eleanor, who was only 21 months old, passed away at the facility in Liverpool on 2 October 2023 following a procedure for a congenital skull condition known as craniosynostosis.
What was intended as routine surgery at the specialist children’s hospital ended in tragedy due to what the trust described as numerous missed opportunities during her treatment.
A subsequent coroner’s inquest determined that the child died by misadventure, a verdict heavily influenced by findings of neglect in her medical management.
Official statements from the hospital characterized the incident as a “tragic and needless” outcome, highlighting the preventable nature of the fatal errors.
The admission marks a significant acknowledgment by the NHS foundation trust regarding the breakdown of safeguards that ultimately claimed the life of the infant patient.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
